When Urban Meyer took over as Florida’s head coach in December 2004, he inherited a program that had built a recent tradition of winning, but was on a downward slide relative to its competitors in the SEC and the state of Florida. One of the main factors in UF’s decline was a diminishing home-field advantage.

Steve Spurrier gave Ben Hill Griffin Stadium the nickname of The Swamp, and his teams upheld the warning that “only Gators get out alive.” At the height of the Spurrier era, the Gators won 30 consecutive home games over a roughly five-year period (Oct. 29, 1994 to Oct. 2, 1999). But when Spurrier bolted for the NFL, and Ron Zook took over in 2002, suddenly Hurricanes, Tigers, Rebels, Volunteers and Seminoles were all getting out alive.

Enter Meyer. Before he even coached a game, Meyer addressed Florida’s biggest problems with two goals: take back The Swamp and win against the three main rivals (Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State). In and of themselves, Meyer’s goals seem simplistic and obvious, but the results of his tenure prove those goals established the foundation for championships.

Meyer’s 9-3 debut season included a 6-0 home record and wins over Tennessee (16-7), Georgia (14-10) and Florida State (34-7). Following the 2005 season, Meyer signed a recruiting class that featured Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. The rest is history – two BCS national titles, two SEC championships, 16-2 against the three rivals and 36-5 at home over the course of six seasons.

Meyer’s successor met neither goal. In 2011, Will Muschamp went 7-6 in his first season, which was hampered by quarterback injuries, and was just 4-2 at home. In terms of rivalries, Muschamp opened 1-2, keeping the winning streak alive against Tennessee (33-23), but falling to Georgia (24-20) and Florida State (21-7). It’s a pattern that would continue until the end of Muschamp’s tenure, as he finished 4-0 vs. UT, but 2-6 against UGA and FSU. The failure to beat the Bulldogs and Seminoles –combined with a home record of 6-6 in his final two seasons – ultimately cost Muschamp his job.

If Meyer’s 2005 season is considered the bar for successful debuts at Florida, Jim McElwain has the chance to clear it on Saturday with a victory against Florida State. In McElwain’s first season as head coach, he’s already taken care of two UF rivals with a 28-27 win over Tennessee in Week 4 and a 27-3 victory against Georgia at Jacksonville in Week 9. He’s also defending his home turf with a 6-0 record in The Swamp.

All that’s missing is the home win over the Seminoles.